I have quite a different understanding of these terms than John Sweeney does.

“Hand cast” is not done with an arm around. That would be simply “cast off” in a New England style contra, common in those wonderful classic contras we call the chestnuts. Hand cast is distinguished from just a cast by the fact that you join hands rather than do the arm around. It’s used, I’d say, when flow would be improved by a hand connection at that moment. 

What distinguishes “hand cast” from “gate” is progression. The word cast implies that the figure involves progression, typically the ones and twos exchanging positions. In Louise’s dance There and Back the figure does not involve progression, and so I think calling it a gate turn is clearer. But “gate” is borrowed vocabulary, imported into contra dance from ECD like “poussette,” which is why it is not yet universally understood by readers of this list. 

I would also argue that in almost any dance with this sort of move, the turn is far more satisfying if the pivot point is the joined hand, rather than one person horsing the other around. If twos remain in place during a hand cast the set would move down the hall; twos are moving up just as much as ones are moving down.

David Smukler
Syracuse, NY


From: "John Sweeney" <john@modernjive.com>
Subject: [Callers] Re: Dance with petronella right and left
Date: April 14, 2023 at 7:01:27 PM EDT
To: <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>


Hi Amy,

              “Hand Cast”, “Gate”, “Wheel Around” (which I am surprised is not in https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/Glossary.htm),  and “Turn As A Couple” are all fundamentally the same move.

 

              Two people stand side by side, facing the same way, and hold the nearest hand. They rotate staying in line with each other.

 

              The only questions are where the pivot point is and how far you turn.  Wheel Around and Turn As A Couple usually mean that the pivot point is the joined hands and that you turn 180 degrees.  Hand Cast and Gate usually mean that the pivot point is one of the dancers and the rotation can be 180, 270 or 360 degrees, depending on the dance.

 

              Of course, nowadays most contra dancers told to Turn As A Couple will do a California Twirl instead.

 

              And “Hand Cast” can be done with arms around each other’s waists, or by, for example, #2s facing up and offering an elbow for the #1s to hook into so that they can be whirled around the corner – more likely when the #1s are galloping up the set and need help to redirect their momentum!

 

            Happy dancing,

                   John                       

                                    

John Sweeney, Dancer, England   john@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574

http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent